The Deal
by sicklittlepervert
Summary: Beetlejuice is forced to "keep an eye on" Lydia. Little does he know it will lead to so much more. Rated T for language and adult themes.
1. Chapter 1

_THE DEAL_

"_You want me to do what_?" Beetlejuice yelled, "Have you lost your fucking mind?" Juno looked absently at the ghost. She let out a puff of thick grey smoke. "Oh calm down, Geuse," she replied, obviously unaffected by his outburst. "You got yourself into this." Beetlejuice stopped the wild pacing he had been doing for the last few minutes, regarding the old ghost behind the desk. He slammed down into the chair in front of Juno's desk and leaned over it, leering at her. "There's no fucking way I'm doin' this," he said almost casually. Juno exhaled another puff of smoke and smiled at the irrational ghost. "You," she said pointing her cigarette at him, "have no choice….." Beetlejuice stood abruptly, knocking over his chair. "The hell I don't," he screamed at her, "I'd like to see you try to make me….." Juno sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Alright," she replied, "if you wanna do it the hard way." Beetlejuice regarded the old woman defiantly. "You don't scare me," he snarled, "I'm the fuckin' Ghost with the Most….." Juno smiled a little as she rose from her chair. "You _were_ the Ghost with the Most," she replied with a wicked looking grin. Beetlejuice eyed her suspiciously. "What do you mean _were_?" he asked. Juno laughed out loud then. "Refuse this task," she said, "and it's bye bye 'juice'. You'll be a regular dead schmuck like everyone else. No powers, no nothing." Beetlejuice raised an eyebrow. "You can't do that," he replied grinning, "you don't have that kind of power." Juno sat once more, "I don't," she replied smugly, "but I know people who do."

Beetlejuice sat on the grimy sofa in his roadhouse, a cigarette in his hand and a look of pure hatred on his face. "This is bullshit," he said to no one, "I was the one who got fed to the fuckin' sandworm. Now they want me to _help_ the little bitch?" he was fuming, after all, she had just stood there and watched when that frumpy Maitland woman had ridden in on that thing. She had just watched as he was swallowed up by it. She had just let it happen. He let out a heavy sigh. He was being threatened with losing his juice over a deal that had gone bad _for him_. "Fuck," he said, taking a drag off the cigarette. Let 'em write the damn contract, there wasn't a contract ever written that the Ghost with the Most couldn't get out of. "Plus," he thought, "might be good to see ol Lyds again. I'll bet she's grown…" She had looked smoking hot in that dress, bet she'd fill it out real good now. But even the thought of a grown up Lydia couldn't lift Beetlejuice's foul mood. The only thing that ever really got his motor running was revenge. He thought about all the ways he could make them pay. Those damn Maitlands had caused him a hell of a lot of trouble. He smiled a wicked smile. Juno was neglecting to realize that her little "task" could be just the in he needed. This little deal could get him close. His wicked smile grew. "Hell," he said aloud, "I think I just talked myself into it….."


	2. Chapter 2

THE DEAL

Lydia sat staring at herself in the mirror. She was tired. She hadn't been sleeping well. There were the pressures of school; she was graduating this year, and checking out colleges seemed like a full time job lately. Then, there were the nightmares. Well, _nightmare_ really. It was always the same. She was standing next to Beetlejuice in that horrible red dress, when suddenly the ceiling crashed in to reveal a huge sandworm. The creature snapped down to seize the ghost, but suddenly seemed to change it's mind, opting instead for her. She heard Beetlejuice laugh maniacally as she was carried away.

She had had this same dream every night for two weeks. Always the same. She glanced at her reflection again, noticing the dark circles under her eyes. This made her think about _his_ eyes. They were a deep green that faintly glowed. There was always a spark in his eyes. Usually it was lust, or malice. Sometimes it was something she couldn't quite put her finger on, but the look that haunted her was the last one she ever saw in his eyes. There was no mistaking it. Just before he was devoured by that sandworm, she had seen fear flash in them. Lydia sighed, running her fingers through her long hair. If she didn't start sleeping soon, she was going to start looking like him. Suddenly she felt the tears begin to sting her eyes. Every time she thought about him, she had an overwhelming feeling of guilt. She had no idea why she felt guilty, she hadn't been the one to ride in on that sandworm. Still, she couldn't help but feel responsible. He was only helping because she had asked him to, he had upheld his end of the bargain, and she had not. But whether or not she had expected to feel guilty about it, that is exactly what she felt. "Oh Lydia, get a grip," she thought. One last glimpse at her sleep deprived face, left her frozen in fear. When she looked at the pale girl in the mirror, she could have sworn that the brown eyes had flashed a brilliant green.

Beetlejuice was sitting in Juno's office once again, only this time he was behind the desk, in he chair, with his feet propped up on it. It was the only time since he had worked for her that he had come to this office voluntarily. Juno walked in to find the ghost smoking one of her cigarettes and reading his file, which she was certain she had not left open on her desk. "Unruly, surly, devious, manipulative and dangerous…." he said, reading aloud. "Hell Juno, if you wanted to sleep with me, you shoulda just said so." he said grinning. Juno rolled her eyes at his asinine comment. "Get your feet off my desk, asshole," she said pointedly. Beetlejuice frowned. "Come on Junes," he said innocently, "I'm here to make your day…" "I seriously doubt that _you_ could do anything that would make my day." she replied coldly, "what _are_ you doing here, then?" Beetlejuice sat up and propped his elbows on the desk. "I wanna sign your little contract," he said almost sweetly. In all the centuries that she had known Beetlejuice, she had never been able to figure him out. But this, this had to be the biggest shock he had ever given her. "What's the catch?" she asked dubiously. Beetlejuice grinned, "Y'know Junes," he said, "if I had any feelings, they'd be hurt…" The old ghost regarded him with disgust. "Uh huh," she said, "I know you, Geuse. What's your angle?" Beetlejuice flashed her a creepy grin. "Just tryin' to be a model citizen, Junes," he said sarcastically. Juno sighed and went to the filing cabinet and pulled out a copy of the contract. Beetlejuice zapped a pair of reading glasses onto his nose, and took up a pen. "Aren't you going to read it?" Juno asked. Beetlejuice flashed her a blinding grin. "nah," he replied, "I trust you, Junes." "Okay," she replied, "it's your second funeral…." Beetlejuice frowned at the woman, then signed his name to the unread document with a flourish. "Nuttin' to it," he said smiling. Juno smiled more than she had in centuries. Beetlejuice got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. When Juno began to laugh, he thought for a minute that he might actually _be_ sick. Juno ceased her laughter and glared at him coldly. "Your ass is as good as dead," she said with a smirk, "again." Beetlejuice got up from the chair and headed for the door with a frown. "You keep laughin', you old bat," he said, dusting off his sleeves, "It's Showtime!"


	3. Chapter 3

THE DEAL

Lydia was once again at her mirror, brushing her hair. Se was still exhausted. Maybe turning in early would let her by-pass the nightmare. She put down the brush and gave her reflection a disdainful look. "You look like hell," she told herself, before turning to rise. "I think you look great, babes," came the reply in an all too familiar voice. Lydia froze. It couldn't be. She turned around slowly, not sure she wanted to know where the voice had come from. As she finally got around to the mirror, she saw him. Lydia's heart stopped for a moment, and her breath caught in her throat. "Beetlejuice…" she whispered. Then, as if she had been physically shocked, she jumped from the chair and stumbled backward across the room. Beetlejuice grinned. "That's one, babes," he said thickly, "how 'bout two more times for your fiancee?" Lydia's eyes grew wide, her voice useless. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She just stood there staring at him, _him_, in her mirror. "Cat got ya tongue, babes?" he asked with a chuckle. Lydia blinked a few times, trying to make sure she wasn't already having a nightmare. Still, she couldn't manage one word. Then, she fainted.

"Aw hell," Beetlejuice said, looking at the girl on the floor. He straightened his collar and brushed off his sleeves before stepping out of the mirror. He hadn't really needed her to say his name three times. Everyone seemed to forget that the sandworm had snatched him up before anyone got his name out that final time. He liked it when things worked to his advantage. Beetlejuice turned the vanity chair around and straddled it. How long was she gonna be out? He did have things to do. Lydia stirred a bit and moaned. She sat up slowly, holding her head. "Ow," she mumbled, realizing that she had whacked her head pretty hard on the floor when she fell. "Nasty little fall," Beetlejuice said, "y'okay?" Lydia scrambled backward at the sound of that voice. _His_ voice. "Wh-what are you doing here?" she asked shakily, "h-h-how did you get out?" Beetlejuice grinned. "Talent," he replied sarcastically. Lydia had scrambled as far as she could, her back hitting the far wall of her room. Beetlejuice eyed her for a minute. "What the hell are you so scared of?" he asked, "Don't tell me you're afraid of me now….." That was one thing he could say about this little breather, except for that one time when he had been the snake, she hadn't really ever been afraid of him. Lydia found a bit more courage. "No," she replied defiantly, "you surprised me, is all." She was standing now, back still against the wall. Beetlejuice grinned, getting up from the chair. He took a couple of steps toward the girl. "C'mon, babes, I won't bite…Unless you want me to," he said with a lecherous grin. "What are you doing here?" she asked again, "what do you want? You obviously don't need me to let you out." Beetlejuice straightened his cuffs. "Actually," he said, "our deal still stands. I held up my end of the bargain, and now I'm here to collect." Lydia gasped. "You can't be serious," she said nervously. "Oh, but I am, babes," he replied, "a deal's a deal." He sat down on the end of her bed. "But," he began, "until you realize what a catch I am and agree to finish our little ceremony, I'm just gonna stick around and make sure you stay out of trouble." Lydia eyed him suspiciously. "You're gonna what?" she asked, "why?" "Cause, I'm a stand up guy," he replied through clenched teeth. Lydia actually laughed out loud at that. "A stand up guy?" she asked, "you?" She was almost doubled over now. Beetlejuice frowned, "It ain't that funny," he said. Lydia fought to stop laughing, "Oh, I'm sooooooo sorry if I hurt your feelings," she said, wiping the tears off her cheeks, "but you don't do anything unless there's something in it for you." "I told you babes," he said matter-of-factly, "we still got a deal. And I'm just lookin' after what's rightfully mine." Lydia eyed him coolly. "Someone is making you, aren't they?" she asked, "this is some kind of punishment." Damn, she was smart. He didn't respond, and she knew that she was right. She nodded, "yeah," she said, now convinced, "they are forcing you to be nice to me as punishment for the whole marriage thing." Beetlejuice grimaced. "Hey," he said forcefully, "nobody forces me to do a damn thing! And who the hell said anything about me being _nice_ to you?" Lydia frowned a little, but was bolstered by her little discovery. "What did they do? Make you sign a contract?" Beetlejuice's eyes shot up. "Oh….my…..gods, they did!" Beetlejuice frowned. "So," she asked, "what are the stipulations?" Beetlejuice was almost sulking now. "Hell if I know," he replied, "I didn't read the damn thing." Lydia's mouth fell open. "You signed a contract without reading it?" she asked incredulously, "are you crazy?" Beetlejuice just sighed heavily. "Anyway," he began, "fuck the contract. I'm out and that's all that matters. Now how 'bout you come here and let me show why I'm the Ghost with the Most…" He reached for her then, feeling a slight tingle run up his arm. He drew it back a bit. *The fuck was that,* he thought. Pushing the thought aside, he moved his arm again, this time grabbing her wrist. A blinding pain shot through him, knocking him backward. He released her and stumbled, griping his arm. Lydia smiled. "Ha," she said mockingly, "you can't touch me. That's one of the stipulations, isn't it?" Beetlejuice frowned. "I told you I didn't read it," he said gritting his teeth. The girl had seen him vulnerable, he didn't like that. "It's nothing I can't work around," he said smugly. Lydia was regarding him with a very amused grin. "You physically can't touch me," she laughed. Beetlejuice fixed her with a cold stare. *Maybe I should have read the damn thing,* he thought.


	4. Chapter 4

THE DEAL

Now this little twist was going to put a kink in his plans for sure. How in the hell had Juno managed that little trick? He touched his his arm gently. "Don't know how she did it," he said, "but it hurt like hell." Beetlejuice leaned back on the dirty sofa. The girl had been so amused by this little development, that he had juiced himself back to his roadhouse. That had really pissed him off. She had laughed at him….._him_. The Ghost with the Most. He snapped his fingers and a beer appeared in his hand. "Shit," he said, "how the hell am I supposed to get anything accomplished if I can't even touch her?" He sighed audibly. This was thoroughly messed up. He picked up his copy of the contract and flipped through it. "…cannot knowingly and willfully engage physical contact with mortals on pain of acute electrocution…"he read aloud. Beetlejuice rubbed his temples. "Shit," he said again. Suddenly a slow grin began to creep across his lips. There had to be a loophole, there was _always_ a loophole. After two hours of searching, he found what he was looking for. On the very last page, in the finest fine print ever invented, he found his loophole. Beetlejuice grinned widely at the words. "touching limitation can and will be rendered void upon mortal, knowingly and willfully engaging physical contact of their own volition, while under no duress…" he read aloud. So, all he had to do was convince her to touch him first, of her own free will. "Well hell," he said in amusement," I didn't think it would be that easy." He leaned back and lit a cigarette. "I can do that with one hand tied behind my back," he said grinning.

The next night, Lydia sat on her bed thinking about everything that had happened. She had certainly pissed him off. He had made that very clear before he sulked back to the Neitherworld. She thought about how he had been hurt when he touched her, and despite herself, she felt guilty. It seemed like every time he got close to her, something bad happened to him. Lydia felt like she needed to apologize to him or something. She never set out to intentionally hurt him. Even though he was lewd and nasty and a downright pervert, he had always been really nice to her. If you didn't count that whole "trying to force her into marriage" thing, cause that was half her fault. He had listened to her, he had helped her when she asked him to, and it had been _her_, not him that had welched on their deal. "Great," she sighed, "now I feel like shit…." "What for babes?" came the reply in that familiar voice. Lydia jumped. She really needed to remember to consciously send him back. She turned to see him standing there, still looking slightly pissed off. Her eyes met his, and his face softened just a bit. "Well?" he asked. Lydia sighed. "I think I'm bad luck for you," she said. Beetlejuice raised an eyebrow. "Bad luck?" he questioned, "why?" He was surprised to see the tears forming in her eyes. "Because," she whispered, "every time you're around me you get hurt." Beetlejuice was surprised at the guilt he heard in her words. Truthfully, it made him extremely uncomfortable. "Aw hell, babes," he said with a shrug, "I don't even believe in luck." Lydia lifted her gaze to meet his. "You don't?" she asked, her voice soft. "Hell no," he said smiling," and if I could touch you without becoming extra crispy, I'd show you a thing or two about a thing or two, and _you'd_ be the lucky one….." "Ew, gross," she said, "You're still just a pervert." Beetlejuice grinned. "Yeah? Well _you_ are full of shit…" he said nonchalantly, "you want me to touch you. You'd _like_ it." "Ugh," she replied, "you're gross." Beetlejuice smirked. "Really?" he asked, passing his hand in front of her face, careful not to touch her. "You think so?" When his hand left her field of vision, she looked at him. Lydia was speechless. The man standing before her was not the same. Gone were the greenish streaks, the grime, the filth. This man was beautiful. His long blond hair was clean and pulled back at the base of his neck, his clothes were freshly laundered and when he smiled at her, she saw luminous white teeth. His skin no longer the purplish death pallor it was before. It was now faintly peachy. Lydia gasped. Beetlejuice grinned. "How ya like me now, babes?" he asked slyly. Lydia could only stare at his new appearance. "This is just some trick," she stammered, "Some sort of….of glamour spell or something." Beetlejuice laughed. "Glamour spell?" Does this look like fuckin' Bewitched?" he asked mockingly. Lydia just stared, eyes wide. She didn't know what to say. He was amazing, he was clean, he was _hot_. She took a step toward him, not sure if she should trust this new development. "I won't bite, babes," he said, more than a little baitingly. Lydia took one more step toward the newly handsome ghost. "I don't know," she said warily. She was close enough to touch him now. *Come on,* he thought, *just on little touch…* Lydia eyed him for a moment. "So, you can look like this anytime?" she questioned. Beetlejuice grinned an almost feral grin. "Yep," he replied, "anytime you want." He took a small step toward her. "It might not hurt if you touch me." he said, cautiously, testing her reaction. Lydia's eyes grew dark, She lowered the hand that had instinctively reached for him. She frowned, shaking her head. "I don't want to be the reason you're hurt again," she said softly. Beetlejuice frowned. *Oh sure,* he thought, *now she gets all sentimental.* He took another step, intent on closing the gap between them. "Well," he said, "we won't know until we try." Lydia took a deep breath. She definitely didn't want to electrocute him. She decided she would just keep her hands to herself. "No," she said softly, "I'm afraid…" she let the thought end there. He knew she wasn't afraid of him, she was just afraid he would be thrown across the room again. Lydia lowered her eyes. She didn't want him to see just how badly she _did _want to touch him. The ghost frowned again. Then sighed deeply. *Oh well,* he thought, *better not rush her. She might figure out what I'm up to.* He would let her come to the decision on her own. No use wasting this little bit of sympathy she was feeling. "Whatever you say, babes," he said with a smile. Lydia returned her gaze to his now handsome face. She wondered if he had changed his appearance just to please her. *No,* she thought dryly, *Beetlejuice wouldn't do anything to please others…* But still, Lydia couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of satisfaction. She could believe that he had changed just for her, even if she knew that there was probably a self-serving agenda behind it. She turned away from him, afraid that the look in her eyes would betray her thoughts. "Well," she said, "it's getting pretty late." Beetlejuice sighed. "Yeah," he said, "guess I better be goin'…" Lydia turned to face him once more. "You'll come back tomorrow, won't you?" she questioned. The grin on his face was almost painful. "Hell yeah, babes," he said, with a wink, "wouldn't miss it." And with that, he vanished. Lydia stood there alone. He certainly was being nice, but she supposed it was only because of the contract. As she climbed into bed, she wondered again about the stipulations of that contract. The more she thought about it, the more she thought about _him_, and the more she thought about him, the more she thought about how he had looked. She hated to admit it, but when he was all cleaned up, he was devastatingly handsome. She _had_ wanted to touch him. She wanted to see if his skin was as soft as it looked. Lydia closed her eyes and imagined running her fingers down his cheek, pressing her hands against his chest. She imagined his hands on her hips, sliding slowly up to her waist, then to her back…She couldn't believe she was thinking these things, but still she kept imagining. She imagined him pulling her close, his lips covering hers in a passionate kiss. The more she imagined, the more she really wanted to feel his lips on hers, his hands on her body. Thinking about it, she let out a little moan….. Deep in the Neitherworld, Beetlejuice was watching her. Leaning close to the mirror, he had a grin on his lips and a gleam in his eyes. It seemed that little Lydia was already fantasizing about him. This was going to be way too easy.


	5. Chapter 5

The Deal

Even though Beetlejuice knew that Lydia was having fantasies about him, he decided to take things slow and easy. He wanted her to trust him. He came to her mirror everyday, just to check up on her. He let her ramble about her life, and school. He never even hinted that he knew about her little fantasies. He just listened, always making her feel like he was there because he wanted to be, not because he was contractually obligated. She had basically shared her life story with him. It hadn't really been hard to get her to open up. It kind of surprised him how much the girl actually talked. She always talked about herself, until one day when she had grown quiet and serious. "So," she began, "you ever gonna tell me about the contract?" Beetlejuice looked at her with an incredulous look. "Why d'ya wanna know about that?" he asked, "It's all just a bunch of boring legal shit." Lydia propped her elbows on her knees. "C'mon Beej," she said, using her new nickname for him, "I'm sure it's more interesting than that." Beetlejuice just rolled his eyes. "Hell if I know, babes," he said, "I still haven't read it." Lydia laughed. "You know, you really should," she said. Beeteljuice just frowned. He snapped his fingers and his copy appeared in his hand. He held it out to her. "Here," he said," you read it….." Lydia took it and began to read. "Geez," she said, "it _is_ just a bunch of legal stuff. Talk about reading like stereo instructions…." Beetlejuice chuckled. "why d'ya think I didn't read it?" he asked. She just sighed and closed it. "I'll read it later," she said, "when I can concentrate." Beetlejuice just shrugged. "Okay," he said, leaning back against her headboard, "then you can tell me what it says." Lydia grew serious again, and looked at him. Beetlejuice eyed her suspiciously. He often wondered, with all the power he had, why he couldn't read minds. Sure would make times like this easier to handle. Finally he began to feel a little uncomfortable. "What?", he asked, hoping to break the silence. Lydia cocked her head to the side and regarded him a bit longer. She didn't really know why she was staring at him. Something about him was so…attractive. She wondered what he had been like when he was alive. "Nothin'," she replied, breaking his gaze. She pretended to be interested in the pattern of her comforter. "Do you remember being alive?" she asked, finally. Beetlejuice looked at her. "Not much," he replied quietly, "long time ago." Lydia pursed her lips. "Do you ever talk about it?", she asked. He looked at her with an almost amused expression. "Why?" he asked, pointedly. "I was just curious," she replied, lifting her gaze to his face again. "If you don't wanna talk about it….." she said, letting the sentence trail off. Beetlejuice sighed, "Look," he said, "I appreciate the fact that you wanna know, I mean, hell, most people don't even wanna talk to me, but it ain't that great of a story, know what I mean. I was born, I lived, I died. That's about it." Lydia figured out that he definitely didn't want to talk about it. "Okay." she said. Beetlejuice frowned. For some reason, he hoped that he hadn't hurt her feelings. He straightened his cuffs and avoided her gaze. Finally, he lifted his eyes to meet hers. "I was thirty seven," he said, in a tone that told her that was all she was going to get. Lydia smiled, "'Kay," she said.

Things went on this way for a few weeks. Beetlejuice popping in to "Check on" Lydia almost everyday. He had to admit, as a punishment, he could have gotten a lot worse. Lydia opened up to him more everyday. He actually began to feel comfortable around her. So comfortable, in fact, that he let her read the entire contract. Even the part about why he was being made to "keep an eye on Lydia Deetz." She had sulked for almost an hour. Then, she had pitched a fit. Beetlejuice just sat silently and let her rage explode. "I wish everyone would stop thinking that I'm going to kill myself," she screamed, "I am NOT suicidal….." He raised an eyebrow. "Well babes…you did tell me that you wanted 'in'," he said. She glared at him for a moment, then her face softened. "Yeah," she agreed, "I guess I did." She calmed down quickly and returned to her old self. Beetlejuice was actually beginning to enjoy her company. That night as she fell asleep, he watched her. "Beej," she said sleepily. "Yeah babes," he replied. "I'm glad I was your punishment." "Me too, Lyds," he said truthfully, surprising himself. When she had finally drifted off, he had returned to his roadhouse. Beetlejuice flopped down on the sofa. He had a weird feeling in his stomach. As he had watched her falling asleep, he had been hit with an overwhelming urge to kiss her goodnight. Not only would that have been weird, it would also have been painful. He had no idea where the urge had come from. He took a cigarette out of his pocket. He hadn't thought about the loophole in a long time. He had that sinking feeling again. He rubbed his temples. "Okay," he said aloud, "time to stop feeling like some pathetic sap." He took a drag from the cigarette and sighed. Who the hell was he kidding? That little breather made his guts twist. "Damn," he sighed.


	6. Chapter 6

The Deal

The next day, he was at her mirror again. She walked into the room and flopped down on the bed. "Long day, babes?" he asked. Lydia turned her head to look at him. "It was awful," she said, letting out a sigh. "I am so ready to be out of there." Beetlejuice grinned. "Speaking of 'out'," he said, hopefully. A small smile passed across her lips. "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice." she said, without needing any further urging. She sat up to watch his entrance. She liked it when he came through the mirror. It was such a spectacular display of theatrics. She would never let him know how much she enjoyed it, though. She watched as the smoke curled over the floor, teasing its way up the side of her bed. "Do you always make an entrance like that?" she asked. Beetlejuice flashed her a grin. "Hell yeah, babes," he replied smugly, "Ghost with the Most has to make an entrance." Lydia rolled onto her side and propped up on her elbow. "It's a shame that the 'Ghost with the Most' got saddled with this babysitting job." she said. Beetlejuice grinned again. "Yeah, well, that's what I get for trying to marry some underage pain in the ass breather….." he joked. Lydia looked at him with mock defiance. "Serves you right, then" she said smugly. Beetlejuice chuckled, despite that twisting in his stomach again. "Guess I shoulda been a bit more picky," he said, baitingly. Lydia took the bait. "Oh please," she said rolling her eyes, "who's better than me?" Beetlejuice laughed out loud then. "Hell babes," he said grinning, "I'm already starting to rub off on ya." Lydia laughed, "I guess you are," she replied a bit playfully. Beetlejuice looked at her for a moment, really examining the young woman. She had certainly changed. Even through the laughter, he noticed that she had a hard look in her eyes that she didn't have before. He wondered briefly what had happened to make her cynical at such a young age. But, that was a question he could save for later. No sense wasting this playful mood she was in. "So…" he said teasingly, "rubbin off on ya is okay….but rubbin against ya would be even better." Lydia rolled her eyes once again. "Are you always such a pervert?" she asked. "Yep," he replied with a positively lecherous grin. "How many times have you been slapped in the face?" she asked. "Lost count a couple hundred years ago." he replied absently, "but let's face it Lyds, if there's gonna be any smackin goin on, it ain't gonna be in the face…" he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Ugh," she replied, inadvertently punching him playfully in the arm, then pulling back almost violently. "Oh gods, Beej, I'm so sorry….I didn't mean to…..did it hurt?" Beetlejuice looked at her in mock horror, carefully concealing the fact that she had just handed him his loophole. He was going to have some fun with this. He jumped like he had been shocked, grabbing his arm. This was going to be fun. "What the hell are you tryin to do? Kill me again?" he yelled, trying to hide his smile. She apologized again, "I'm sorry, I forgot….." she said. He held out as long as he could. Finally, he couldn't hold back the laughter any longer. She looked at him with a very puzzled expression on her face. "What the hell are you laughing at?" she asked, anger flashing in her eyes. Beetlejuice stopped laughing and looked at her. "It….uh, it didn't hurt babes," he replied tentatively. "WHAT?" she screamed, now utterly furious. "What do you mean 'it didn't hurt'?" Oh yeah, she was pissed. Maybe the laughter was a bit much. He wanted to say something to calm her down, but she was just so cute when she was mad. "Babes," he said slowly, "you found the loophole, it made that part of the contract void….." Lydia's eyes went wide and she blinked a few times, trying to make sure she understood what he had just said. "I did what?" she asked, "what are you talking about?" Beetlejuice took a deep breath for effect and began, "the contract states that if you touch me first, then the electrocution clause will be null and void." He dropped his gaze for a moment, then returned it to her face. He saw the fury in her eyes, then suddenly, unexpectedly, she lunged at him, fists flying. He brought his hands up instinctively, in an attempt to fend off her blows. "Babes," he said, "Lyds, calm down…." "Calm down?" she screamed, "you knew about the loophole and you let me feel awful…" she hadn't stopped the onslaught of her fists, and she was beginning to get in some really good shots. Beetlejuice did the only thing he knew to stop her, he threw his arms around her and pulled her to him. Lydia was stunned into silence for a moment, but Beetlejuice could feel the rage welling up inside her. Since she could no longer use her fists, she began attacking him verbally. She called him names he didn't even know she knew. Finally, she stopped cursing him, and fixed him with an icy stare. He felt that feeling in his stomach again. He was pretty sure she hated him… A slightly creepy looking grin spread across her face. His stomach practically lurched. She gave him a cruel smile and began to speak. "Beetlejuice…." she said pointedly. "No, no, no, c'mon Lyds…" he begged. "Beetlejuice…." she said again. The ghost panicked. He knew that if she sent him back now, it would be a long time before she even considered calling him back. If she ever did. He did the only thing any good self-serving entity could do at a time like this. He crushed his lips to hers in a breath-stealing, toe-curling, curse-stopping kiss.


	7. Chapter 7

The Deal

Lydia should have been furious. She should have been kicking and screaming. She should have pulled away and said his name that final time. She should have….but she didn't. What she did do, was melt into Beetlejuice's kiss. She closed her eyes and leaned into him. Beetlejuice's eyes shot open. He had definitely not expected _that_ reaction. He loosened his grip on her slightly, and ran his hand up her back to her hair. When he felt her do the same, a small growl escaped his lips. Lydia let out a slight moan in response. Beetlejuice's mind was racing. Had he completely lost it? When had it gotten to this point? Reluctantly, he broke the kiss and leaned back a little, searching her face for what she was thinking. Lydia dropped her gaze slightly, and his stomach lurched again. "Babes," he began, "I…" Lydia put a finger to his lips. "Don't say you're sorry, Beej," she said quietly, "I couldn't take it." Beetlejuice furrowed his brow. He put his own fingers under her chin and lifted her face to look into her eyes. "Lyds," he said, "I wasn't. I'm not sorry." She looked at the ghost and smiled a little. She pursed her lips. "Did you just kiss me to stop me from sending you back?" she asked. "Yes," he said. Her smile faltered a bit. "Then, no." She looked confused. Beetlejuice smiled at her. "It did start out as a way to shut you up," he said matter-of-factly, "but when you kissed me back, then it was because it was cause I didn't wanna stop." Lydia smiled again, broadly this time. She wondered if she could shock the "Ghost with the Most". When she leaned closer to him, she saw surprise in his eyes, and when she pressed her lips to his and heard him draw in a sharp breath, she knew she had. Beetlejuice wrapped his arms around her and pulled her even closer.

It wasn't until he got back to the roadhouse later that night, that he thought about just how badly this con was going to hell in a hand basket. He was supposed to be working a scam. She was the mark. So how come he was the one who felt like a sucker? The whole scheme was falling apart. Since when did he get all twisty in the guts over some woman? He was supposed to use her to get to the Maitlands. No pity, no attachment, and certainly no damn feelings. He lit a cigarette and sighed heavily. When a good con began to fall apart, he got anxious, and when he got anxious, he got drunk. And that's exactly what he wanted to do. Just as he was about to get up and head for the kitchen, he thought about her. He had to get this situation back on track, and he couldn't do that if he was blitzed out of his mind. He thought briefly about the contract. Maybe there was something in it that could set him on the right path again. But, he had let her keep his copy. He leaned back and closed his eyes. Immediately, he thought of the kiss. She had really kissed him. Damn had she kissed him. What the hell was wrong with him? He never let things get out of control. He was a master, a natural born conman. Scams were his thing. What had that little breather done to him? He thought once again about the contract. He could always just go and get it, since she hadn't formally sent him back. He could just reach through the mirror and snatch it off the desk. Yeah. Maybe there was something he could use to his advantage. He took the last draw from the cigarette, stood up and straightened his cuffs. He moved to the mirror, and leaned in. He reached for the contract, trying not to make any noise. His arm accidentally brushed a perfume bottle, knocking it to the floor. He cringed and glanced at the bed. Thankfully she didn't stir. He stared at her for a minute. She had her back to him, her long hair fanned out over the pillow. He couldn't help himself. Quietly he stepped out of the mirror. He thought briefly about what curiosity did to the cat, but he was already dead, so what the hell. He had seen her fall asleep, even watched her have her little fantasy, but he had never actually seen her sleeping. So he was curious, big deal. Didn't mean anything. She was hot, and he could always appreciate a hot woman, awake or asleep. He had only taken a couple of steps toward the bed when she moaned slightly and rolled over. She was facing him now. Damn, she was beautiful. He had to fight the urge to reach out and touch her, to wake her from her sleep and press his lips to hers again. He wanted to feel the heat of her against him. He wanted _her_. Beetlejuice realized that he had been unnecessarily holding his breath. He frowned, then sighed heavily. He turned invisible just long enough to brush his fingers lightly through her hair. She moaned again, and Beetlejuice almost lost it when she breathed his name. Damn, damn, damn….. He juiced himself back to the roadhouse. It was then that he realized that he had forgotten the contract. "Shit," he said aloud. The memory of Lydia saying his name when he touched her brought that sinking, twisty feeling back to his stomach. Beetlejuice lit another cigarette. Gods, how he wanted to go back. It took every bit of willpower he had to stay put.


	8. Chapter 8

The Deal

Once Beetlejuice had returned to the Neitherworld, Lydia smiled. She had gotten the reaction she wanted from him. She had known that her touch wouldn't hurt him, and the performance she gave was a good one, if she said so herself. He had let her read the contract, all of it. Of course she had seen the loophole. It had taken a magnifying glass and a couple of tries, but she had finally made it out. Lydia's smile broadened. She had conned the Ghost with the Most. She was very pleased with herself.

Ever since he had appeared in her mirror, she had been having this weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. As time went on, the feeling grew stronger. After he let her read the contract, she had begun to hatch her plan. She was almost eighteen, and all the girls in school already had boyfriends and a majority of them, she knew had already had sex. Lydia felt left behind. Up until Beetlejuice had kissed her, she had never even been kissed. She did not want to go off to college a virgin. And who better to help her with her little problem than someone who was already very willing. She smiled again at the thought of how he had touched her hair. She hadn't known that he had it in him to be so gentle. Her plan was going just like she wanted…..

Beetlejuice lay sprawled out on his bed, smoking once again. The crawling nervousness in his stomach had stopped coming and going, now it was just always there. He didn't like that feeling, nor did he like the feelings he got when he looked at Lydia, when he touched her, when he kissed her…..actually he liked _those_ feelings a lot. It was the fact that he like them that he hated. He hated to know that a woman, a breather, no less, had any sort of power over him. He hated the fact that his con was backfiring. He hated the fact that when she kissed him, his body had the audacity to get all tingly. He was _not_ a warm and fuzzy kind of guy. He was calling the shots here, not her. How dare she make him have _feelings_. He sighed heavily. This whole situation was just pissing him off. He did not want to get attached to that girl. He would just have to nip this in the bud. He would just stick with his original plan. No more feelings…..no more kissing. Beetlejuice frowned. The thought of never kissing Lydia again didn't appeal to him. Okay, maybe kissing, but definitely nothing more than that. Okay, maybe a little groping, but that was definitely where he drew the line. He took a long drag from the cigarette and stared at the ceiling. Yeah. He could do that. This was _his_ con, and damned if he wasn't the one running the show. He now saw this as a battle of wills, and there was no way he was going to let her win.

Lydia rolled over and hit the snooze button. She needed to get up, but she hadn't slept well. She kept replaying the kiss over and over in her mind. She thought about her plan. Today was her 18th birthday and she knew exactly what she wanted. Her parents were out of town, and the Maitlands had a meeting with Juno. She had the house to herself, and she was going to take full advantage of it. She smiled and got out of bed. There was a lot she needed to do.


	9. Chapter 9

The Deal

Beetlejuice was throwing random things out of his closet. Not that _he_ cared, but today was Lydia's birthday. He supposed he should at least give her something. Once he had everything in a pile on the floor, he sighed heavily and looked at it. He hadn't see anything that he thought was good enough. She had told him to be at her mirror at 9. He had exactly two hours to find her something. That little breather was manipulating him like a dog on a leash, and for some unknown reason, he was allowing it to happen. He would show up at 9, he would even bring her a gift, but that was it. He was going right back to being aloof. No more touchy-touchy Beetlejuice. No more _feelings_. He was determined to get back in control. He lit a cigarette and looked around one more time. Finally, his gaze settled on something shiny on the shelf in his closet. He reached up and pulled it down. It was the spider brooch his mother had given him a few years ago, for when he "met that special ghoul." He turned it over in his hand a few times. It looked like something Lydia would like. Beetlejuice grinned. He juiced it into some black wrapping paper and tied it with a silver bow. That should work. He looked down at his suit. He supposed he could clean himself up a bit. She _did_ seem to like that. Two hours. It would take him almost that long to work up the courage to face the shower.

At exactly 9 o'clock, he was at her mirror, gift in hand. He looked around for Lydia, but she wasn't there. That's when he noticed the room. It was dark, except for the faint glow of a few candles. There were, what he thought were rose petals strewn over the bed and onto the floor. There was some sort of mushy sounding music coming from the stereo. Beetlejuice swallowed hard. "Oh crap," he thought, "What the hell is this?" Lydia stepped out of the shadows wearing the sexiest little black number he had ever seen. The twisty feeling in his stomach gave way to full blown panic. Beetlejuice's eyes grew wide at the sight of her. He couldn't move, he couldn't speak. And for a dead guy, he was beginning to feel very warm. He thought briefly about running, but as she came closer to the mirror, he forgot that plan. "Babes," he said in a husky voice, "you look…..damn." Lydia smiled. "You wanna get a closer look?" she asked teasingly. Beetlejuice nodded, once again completely speechless. Lydia took another step. "Beetlejuice….." she said slowly. Painfully slowly. He closed his eyes. "Beetlejuice….." she said again. His head fell back slightly. "Beetlejuice." He was out of the mirror in a flash, no grand entrance this time. His hands were on her, and his lips were on hers. After a minute, Beetlejuice released her and held her at arms length. She looked up at him with heavy lidded eyes, that were full of anticipation. Oh this was bad, this was very bad. She bit her bottom lip, and he lost it. He leaned forward and crushed his lips to hers again. Her hands were fisted in his hair and she pressed herself against him. Beetlejuice's mind was racing. If he had a beating heart, it would have stopped. He again broke the kiss. "Lydia," he said, surprising her with her full name. "Don't, Beej," she replied, "Don't say we can't…" This was going against everything he had planned. He let out a sigh. "Don't you want your present?" he asked, trying to distract her. She frowned slightly. "What is it?" she asked. He couldn't help but notice the disappointment in her voice. He had to get control of himself. He reached back through the mirror for the box he had dropped at the sight of that black negligee. He turned around slowly, still reeling from the surprise of the whole situation. He handed her the box. Lydia gasped. Not only had he gotten her a present, but he had wrapped it too. She looked at him, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "Beej," she breathed. Then she noticed his appearance. "did you take a bath?" she asked with disbelief. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe…" he replied. Lydia smiled. She carefully unwrapped the box and opened it. "Oh Beej," she said, smiling, "it's beautiful." Beetlejuice just shrugged and kicked at the carpet nervously. "I love it," she said, "thank you." Beetlejuice furrowed his brow and mumbled, "no prob, babes." Lydia placed the box on her bedside table and shot him a very seductive look. He swallowed hard and tried to think of something else…..anything else. "So," he said nervously, "How's ya birthday been so far?" "Okay," she replied, " but I hope it's about to get a lot better….." Beetlejuice instinctively took a step back. "Oh yeah?" he questioned, trying to look anywhere except at the very young woman, in the very sexy negligee, that was slowly getting very close to him. "Yeah," she replied softly. When he had backed up completely, he knew he was in trouble. He decided to try and talk her out of what she was thinking. It was so unlike him, he almost laughed out loud. She took advantage of his distraction and quickly closed the gap between them. Beetlejuice mentally cursed himself for not paying attention. "Lydia," he said again. She put a finger to his lips. "C'mon, Beej," she said, "don't tell me you don't want this." She moved even closer, "because I know you do." She grabbed his tie and pulled him down to her, "and I want it too." she said, barely above a whisper.


	10. Chapter 10

The Deal

"Babes," he said in a low growl, "you shouldn't say those things…" Lydia smiled seductively up at him. He looked down at her as she pressed her hand against his chest, bringing the rest of her body dangerously closer to him. She looked up at him with a mixture of fear and longing. Her hands trembled against him. "What if I want to say those things, Beej?" she asked. Beetlejuice took an unnecessary breath. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Lydia Deetz was coming on to him, and doing a damn good job of it too. He looked at her for a moment. A sly smile passed over his lips. He had a strong feeling that she was still a virgin, even though every word, every action pointed to the contrary. The way she was touching him told him that even if she was a virgin, she wasn't planning on being one for much longer. He took her face in both his hands and looked into her eyes. Another unnecessary breath escaped his lips. "Lyds," he said pointedly, "are you a…." he stopped as he saw the blush creeping onto her cheeks. Like she was reading his mind, "Yes, Beej. I am" she replied shyly. She repeated his action, by placing her hands on his face and looking deep into his eyes. "I want you to be my first," she said matter-of-factly. He realized talking her out of it wasn't going to happen. *Oh man,* he thought, *I am gonna be so fucked for this…no pun intended.* Beetlejuice traced the outline of her face with his finger. If he was going to be her first, he was going to have to take it slow and gentle. He just hoped he could control himself. He let his fingers slide down the curve of her neck and onto her shoulders. He lowered his lips to hers, only grazing them slightly. His slow deliberate caresses were torture. She wanted him to kiss her, _really_ kiss her. When his hand found its' way to the small of her back, something inside her came alive. She became bold, crushing her lips to his in a bruising kiss that surprised him. His lips devoured hers, tasting the sweetness of them. He pulled away slightly, looking at her. He had been taken aback by the ferocity of her kiss, and when she fisted her fingers in his hair again and pulled him in for another, all pretense of "taking it slow" was forgotten. He turned and pressed her against the wall, and slid his knee between her thighs. Lydia let out a soft moan, sending a shiver down his spine. She unwound her fingers from his hair and placed her hands on his chest. Her fingers trembled as she began working to release the buttons. When she had worked a few buttons free, she slid her hands inside his shirts. The feel of him beneath her fingers was incredible. The heat from her hands felt as though it was being absorbed by his skin. Beetlejuice responded by pulling her into another maddeningly slow kiss. Lydia instinctively ran her nails down his sides, eliciting a low growl from him. He pressed his body harder against her and grasped her hips. A breathless moan escaped her as she arched to get even closer. "Babes," he breathed, "no going back now…" Lydia looked up at him. The beckoning heat in her eyes was an unspoken invitation and it caused him to utter an almost animalistic sound. He slid his hands down her body, grasping her legs behind her knees. He lifted her slightly and wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her to the bed, teasing her with hungry little kisses. "Happy birthday, babes," he whispered. So much for his plan….Lydia had won.

THE END


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